At least one example embodiment relates to an element for an aerosol-generating system. At least one example embodiment relates to a part for an electrically operated smoking system.
One type of aerosol-generating system is an electrically operated smoking system. Electrically operated smoking systems typically use a liquid aerosol-forming substrate which is atomized to form an aerosol. Electrically operated smoking systems often comprise a power supply, a liquid-storage portion for holding a supply of liquid aerosol-forming substrate and an atomizer.
It is known to provide electrically operated smoking systems with a disabling mechanism, such as fusible links, that are operated by control electronics to render a system or a cartridge inoperable in response to particular operating conditions. However, such disabling mechanism does not provide an adult vaper with a choice of when to render a system inoperable. It is also known to provide electrically operated smoking systems with a temporary disabling mechanism, such as caps and rotatable valves, to temporarily obstruct passages of the system, when the system is not in use. However, such a temporary disabling mechanism may be removed to restore operation of the smoking system, and therefore, do not enable an adult vaper to render a system or a cartridge irreversibly inoperable.
It would be desirable to provide an aerosol-generating system or an element for an aerosol-generating system, such as a cartridge, that enables an adult vaper to render an aerosol-generating system or an element for an aerosol-generating system irreversibly inoperable, at a time of the adult vaper's choosing, to substantially prevent or inhibit unauthorized use of the aerosol-generating system.